We previously reviewed the Soundcore Space One, and now we turn our attention to the Pro model. We found the Space One to be a compelling value proposition, offering commendable sound quality, excellent battery life, and adequate noise cancellation for its price point of approximately 1000 SEK. The Soundcore Space One Pro commands a significantly higher price, exceeding twice the cost. The question we aim to answer is whether the performance justifies the increased investment.
First Impressions / Comfort
A notable initial difference compared to the Soundcore Space One is the enhanced folding mechanism. The Pro model incorporates a cleverly designed hinge that allows the earcups to rotate before folding, resulting in a more compact form factor ideal for storage in a backpack or similar.
Regrettably, as with the Space One, a dedicated protective case is not included. Instead, a basic soft bag is provided, offering minimal protection. We believe that Soundcore should have included a more robust and protective case with the Pro model, considering its premium positioning.
Besides the soft bag, the package includes a 3.5 mm audio cable and a USB cable (USB-A to USB-C).
The right earcup houses volume controls and a multi-function button for pausing/skipping tracks. The left earcup features a power button, a button to toggle noise cancellation modes, a 3.5 mm audio input, and a USB-C port. It is important to note that the USB-C port is solely for charging purposes and does not support audio input.
The earcup cushions are soft and provide a comfortable circumaural fit. The headband is adequately padded, ensuring a comfortable experience. The rotating earcups contribute to a good fit, adapting to various head shapes. However, one member of our editorial team with a larger head reported experiencing slight pressure after extended use. This issue was not observed by those with smaller head sizes.
App / Functionality
Upon pairing the headphones, installing the Soundcore app is recommended for customizing settings and updating firmware. The headphones support multipoint connectivity for simultaneous connection to two devices, and the LDAC codec (up to 990 kbps) for high-resolution audio streaming, provided your source device supports LDAC. These two features cannot be enabled simultaneously.
The “Sound Effects” section of the app offers a selection of pre-defined EQ profiles tailored to different music genres.
Users can also create custom EQ profiles using either an 8-band equalizer or Soundcore’s HearID feature. HearID conducts a hearing test, presenting a series of frequencies that the user adjusts via a slider until they are just audible. Following this, the user listens to a song repeatedly, selecting the version that sounds best to them, thus creating a personalized sound profile.
A created HearID profile can serve as a foundation for further customization using preset profiles like Hip-hop or Jazz, although we found the HearID profile to perform optimally on its own without additional profiles.
Customization options for button controls are limited. Users can only configure the noise reduction mode button and enable or disable extra bass activation via a double tap. There is no option to remap controls for skipping tracks or other functions.
The “Easy Chat” function automatically lowers the volume and activates transparency mode when the headphones detect speech.
This feature functions effectively, although there is a slight delay of 1–2 seconds between the start of speech and the activation of the mode. The Space One included a feature where “Easy Chat” could be activated by placing a hand on the left earcup, a functionality absent in the Pro model.
Another feature present on the Space One but missing on the Pro is automatic pause upon removing the headphones. Users must manually pause playback on the Space One Pro.
Noise Cancellation
Soundcore claims improvements to the noise cancellation compared to the base model, leveraging more microphones and adaptive technology that adjusts the noise cancellation three times per second based on ambient sound.
Two noise cancellation modes are available: an adaptive mode and a manual mode allowing adjustment on a scale of 1–5.
Overall, the noise cancellation performs adequately. While it does not eliminate all ambient sound and is not as potent as some competitors’ offerings, a noticeable reduction in noise is achieved. The system is less effective at filtering out voices, as speech remains audible albeit difficult to decipher. Noise from sources like traffic is attenuated more effectively.
A “Wind Noise Reduction” mode is also available, intended to mitigate wind noise during outdoor use. While the effect is subtle, it does provide some reduction in wind noise.
Battery Life / Charging
The specifications indicate a battery life of up to 60 hours without noise cancellation and up to 40 hours with. Our tests generally corroborated these figures. However, enabling LDAC results in a significant reduction in battery life, bringing the runtime closer to 30 hours when combined with adaptive noise cancellation. This is still a respectable figure.
A full charge from empty takes approximately two hours, while a quick five-minute charge provides eight hours of listening time (without noise cancellation or LDAC).
Sound quality
The initial impression when listening to the Soundcore Space One Pro is the prominent bass response. While a strong bass presence is characteristic of Soundcore products, it can, at times, be excessive. Generally, the bass sounds acceptable, but in certain tracks, such as “Biggie Smalls – Gimme the loot,” the bass becomes uncontrolled and rumbles in an unflattering manner. Conversely, in tracks like “The White Buffalo – Oh Darlin’ What Have I Done,” the bass is rendered perfectly, suggesting the issue is frequency-dependent.
The headphones handle challenging tracks like the acid house classic “Josh Winks – Higher State of Consciousness” admirably.
Songs demanding intimacy, such as “Tori Amos – Me and a gun” or “Suzanne Vega – Tom’s Diner” also sound excellent.
However, the bass issue persists. Similar to the Biggie Smalls track, the bass-heavy “Billie Eilish – bad guy” suffers from excessive rumble, with the bass overpowering the rest of the song.
While EQ or HearID can be used to attempt to tame the bass, achieving a perfect balance proves challenging. However, with sufficient effort, a satisfactory result can be achieved.
Call Quality
Our expectations for call quality were not particularly high, as over-ear headphones typically do not excel in this area. However, we were pleasantly surprised. We conducted several calls under various conditions, and the other party consistently reported clear audio, even in slightly noisy environments.
Conclusion
Overall, we are generally pleased with the Soundcore Space One Pro. The sound quality is commendable, and occasionally exceptional. The noise cancellation is effective, and the battery life is impressive.
However, certain shortcomings exist. The absence of a dedicated protective case feels like a cost-cutting measure. The lack of an IP rating raises concerns about resistance to rain and moisture. Button customization is limited, and the somewhat unruly bass requires attention.
Given the recommended retail price of 2290 SEK, and the availability of the Space One at under 1000 SEK, which offers a largely similar experience aside from the folding mechanism, recommending the Pro model is a difficult proposition.
Anker Soundcore provided a test unit for this review. Suppliers of review materials have no editorial influence on our assessments.
